Sports games give us the opportunity to do things we can't normally do or to take control of our favorite athletes to do things that might not happen in real life. Am I ever going to drive in the winning run for the Mariners in game 7 of the World Series? No. Are the Vikings going to win the Super Bowl anytime soon? Who knows. But sports games give us the opportunity to make these things come true. We list the best game for each sport right here in our list of the 10 Best Xbox 360 Sports Games.
1. Fight Night Round 3
EA
Fight Night Round 2 was one of our favorite Xbox games of 2005 so Round 3 had some pretty high expectations to meet. Amazingly, EA has delivered a boxing experience that easily surpasses everything that Round 2 had to offer. The gameplay is absolutely phenomenal and the graphics on the Xbox 360 are amazing. Not only is this the best boxing game ever but it is also one of the best Xbox 360 games available even now three years after it was released.
2. FIFA Soccer 12
EA
FIFA Soccer 12 continues EA's yearly trend of dominating the soccer game genre. Gameplay sliders with some new gameplay tweaks - mainly much more realistic defense - add on to the already great gameplay and presentation and miles long feature list to create a game that is easy for sports fans to love. FIFA 12 is great.
3. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters
EA
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 adds a crown jewel to its already packed features list with the inclusion of The Masters tournament and Augusta National Course. The gameplay is as solid as ever, and the presentation is spectacular, but The Masters just adds that little something extra that makes the game special. Our pick for the best golf game on Xbox 360.
4. NHL 11
EA
In case you didn't know, EA's NHL series is crazy good. So good, in fact, that its only competition decided to pack it in and not even release an Xbox 360 / PS3 version in 2010. Seems like a wise decision, because NHL 11 is even better than last year's already great game. It packs more features, better presentation, tighter gameplay, and is more accessible than ever before.
5. NBA 2K12
2K Sports
NBA 2K11 was a gushy love letter to Michael Jordan. NBA 2K12 is an homage to all of the great NBA players of the past. In addition to the great history mode, My Player saw huge improvements to make it a lot better paced and more fun, and the presentation saw some big changes for the better. It makes the game looks and sound and feel more like a real NBA game, which is a good thing considering how the 2011-12 real NBA season is looking.
6. Skate 2
EA
Skate 2 follows the “bigger, better, more” sequel mantra to a T, and the result is a game that is better than the original in most respects. The city is bigger, you have more moves, and there is a bit more spit and polish in the presentation. We aren’t crazy about some of the additions – mostly the on-foot stuff – but overall there is little debate that Skate 2 is the best skateboarding game on the Xbox 360.
7. Madden NFL 12
EA
The 2011 release of the Madden series is sort of deceptive. On the surface, not a ton has changed, but when you take a closer look and really dig into all of its features, you find a game that improves on its predecessor in just about every way. Better presentation, better A.I., better tackling, and nice tweaks to established modes like the Franchise. It isn't a huge leap, but Madden 12 is a better game than 11. Or 10. Or 09.
8. EA Sports MMA
EA
EA Sports MMA is a bit of a role reversal for Electronic Arts. Usually EA is the company with the big licenses, which make it the 800-pound gorilla every other publisher is chasing. Not so when it comes to mixed-martial-arts. THQ has the big license (UFC) and the established street cred, and EA is the scrappy newcomer trying to break into the genre. After spending several days with EA's offering, I think THQ had better watch its back. EA Sports MMA is the real deal.
9. NCAA Football 12
EA
NCAA Football 12 was the "feature" year in the EA Sports see saw of new additions. Last year was the "gameplay" year. What new features? Tweaks to all of the modes, custom conferences, great little touches to match real world school traditions, awesome looking 3D grass, and more. All of these tweaks go on top of the already great gameplay, which adds up to the best college football (maybe football in general) game around.
10. The BIGS 2
2K Sports
Crazy, simple, fast, fun – these are just a few good ways to describe The BIGS 2. It is like a fan edit of your favorite movie that just shows the good parts. It is a dessert with a mound of frosting and a tiny sliver of cake. It is an all Rush mixtape collection (Fanboys reference +1). The BIGS 2 is baseball broken down into the best parts – hitting and pitching and chasing down crazy stats. And it is the best baseball game the Xbox 360 has to offer. Find out all of the details here in our full review.
